GPhA Board builds relationships, addresses concerns one conversation at a time

Yesterday, State Medicaid Director Linda Wiant visited with the GPhA Board of Directors to discuss a range of issues impacting GPhA members, from concerns about CMO network adequacy to problems with prior authorizations.

Wiant, a Mercer-trained pharmacist, also commented on recently-passed legislation that will subject Medicaid recoupments to the audit bill of rights, indicating that she had implemented new policies several months ago to address concerns about excessive clawbacks, and that in her opinion the GPhA-supported legislation simply made those policies part of the Code of Georgia. In response, directors alerted Wiant that her policy changes were clearly not being adhered to by some state subcontractors.

The GPhA Board also met with officials from the Health Prevention Division of the State Department of Public Health to discuss partnering opportunities in chronic disease management, immunizations and prescription drug abuse prevention. The officials, Director of Health Protection Dr. Pat O’Neal, Director of Chronic Disease Prevention Dr. Jean O’Connor, and Director of Pharmacy Dr. Kimberley Hazelwood, indicated they welcomed further conversations about how pharmacists and DPH can work together.

The meetings with Wiant and Public Health are the latest in a series of stakeholder visits the Board has undertaken to engage and build relationships with key stakeholders and partners in Georgia pharmacy. The meetings are one result the new policy governance structure GPhA members approved last July. Under that structure, the size of Board of Directors was reduced from 41 to 11 members, and the Board refocused its attention on outreach and policy-setting.

Since last September, in addition to yesterday’s meetings, GPhA board members have met with:

• Deans of the pharmacy schools at Mercer and South
• Pharmacy student leaders from South, Mercer and UGA
• UGA and South pharmacy school faculty
• Leaders of the Georgia Food Industries Association, Georgia Society of Health System Pharmacists and the Georgia Association of Chain Drug Stores
• The president and the CEO of the Medical Association of Georgia
• Leaders of the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation
• The Chairman of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy
• Leaders of GPhA’s practice academies
• The CEO of Alliant Quality, Dennis White

“These meetings are great information-gathering sessions,” said GPhA President Tommy Whitworth of LaGrange. “They not only build relationships, but they are already creating opportunities for us to pool our resources and knowledge with other groups to help our members and the patients we serve.”

GPhA Nominating Committee meets, slate to be announced shortly

Here’s a shout-out to GPhA’s Nominating Committee members, who met yesterday at GPhA to evaluate candidates and choose a slate of names to recommend for election to the 2016-17 GPhA Board of Directors. Voting in that election will commence next month.  We’ll be releasing the slate shortly, after all candidates have been notified.  For now, THANK YOU to Nominating Committee members (L to R in the photo below) Bobby Moody (chairman), Drew Miller, Sharon Sherrer, Carolyn Florence, Hannah Head, Ted Hunt and Mahlon Davidson. Thanks to the great number of highly qualified candidates who applied, the Nominating Committee had a tough job to do. We appreciate their service!

Scott Brunner, CAE, Chief Executive Officer

Legislative update, week 8: March 7

GPhA had a strong turn-out for its Pharmacy Advocacy Event this past Friday, with pharmacists speaking to their senators as well as senators on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to advocate for HB 900 (PDMP) and HB 916 (DCH audits).

Three events remain and it’s vital that we have good turnout so pharmacists are both seen and heard in the final weeks of the session. Please sign up for one of our four remaining Pharmacy Advocacy Team events at GPhA.org/atthecapitol:

• March 10; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• March 15; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• March 22; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This week in the legislature

Week eight began with cross-over day, February 29, and legislators worked through the day and well into the night in order to pass bills out their respective chambers.

Pharmacy-related bills that passed the House on cross-over day include…

• HB 1043 (creating certain carve outs for hospitals in connection with immunizations)
• HB 722 (now consisting of expanding eligible conditions for use of cannabis oil)
• HB 1058 (amongst other things, defines harm reduction agencies that provide services to individuals at risk of HIV and allows these agencies to distribute syringes, which can currently only be done by pharmacists and practitioners)
• SB 402 (establishment of the State Commission on Narcotic Treatment Programs and a temporary moratorium on the issuance of new licenses to narcotic treatment programs)

GPhA is also monitoring other bills that previously passed their respective chambers:

Bills we SUPPORT

• HB 900: PDMP reform
• HB 916: DCH audits
• HB 926: Drug law (GPhA supports with revision)
• HB 952: State oversight in connection with state board anti-trust immunity (GPhA supports with revision)
• HB 783: Drug update
• HB 588: Pseudoephedrine ID requirements (GPhA supports with revision)

Bills we’re NEUTRAL on

• SB 115: Allowing PAs to prescribe hydrocodone compound products
• SB 230: Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act
• HB 813: Expedited partner therapy for STDs
• HB 886: Mail order — see below
• HB 897: Drug repository program

No bills that GPhA opposes survived crossover.

Bills that did NOT make crossover

Some of the bills GPhA was following with varying degrees of interest that did not make crossover are set forth below.

• HB 1000: Audits of PBMs contracted with the state (GPhA supported)
• SB 381: Dealing with stem cells (GPhA neutral)
• SB 382: Surprise billing (GPhA neutral)
• SB 418: Copying and maintaining of government photo id of people who are presenting prescriptions for Schedule IIs (GPhA opposed)
• HB 875: Patient Access to Specialty Tier Drugs Act (GPhA neutral)
• HB 1077: state-wide referendum on cultivation/sale of cannabis (GPhA neutral)
• HB 1088: adding post-traumatic stress disorder to the conditions authorized for cannabis oil (GPhA neutral)
• HB 1091: establishment of the State Commission on Narcotic Treatment Programs (GPhA neutral)
• SB 291: Affordable Free Mkt Healthcare Act (GPhA neutral)
• SB 299: GA Health Care Transparency Initiative (GPhA neutral)

Other Activity in Week 8

HB 588

HB 588 was considered by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and passed. GPhA is supportive of this bill, although we’re in conversations regarding a few limited revisions we’d like to see. GPhA would like to thank Representative Clark, who presented the bill in committee, for taking the time to meet with GPhA to discuss it.

HB 886

HB 886 (mail order) also passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. House Health and Human Services Committee Chair Sharon Cooper presented the bill in committee prior to its passage. GPhA will continue to monitor this bill as it makes its way through the Senate.

HR 1576

Introduced in Week 8 by Representative Price, it would create a study committee on the pricing of prescription drugs, consisting of five members of the House. GPhA will seek to offer input to this committee should the resolution pass.